How to dispose of old Rx
By Sandra Jordan Of the St. Louis American
We all know it is neither safe nor healthy to leave old medications lying around the house. Flushing unwanted prescription meds down the toilet or throwing them in the trash will get them out of your house – however, they pose a hazard to environment.
In 2008, residents may bring expired or unwanted medicines to designated Schnucks stores for safe disposal. Unwanted medications collected at Schnucks will be incinerated and plastic bottles will be recycled through the Cintas Corporation. The program is called RXMeds, or the Regional eXcess Medication Disposal Service.
Schnucks Director of Pharmacy Bob Mueller, R. Ph., said the RxMeds pilot program is one of the first of its kind.
Mueller said, “RxMeds gives our communities the opportunity to take corrective action and help reverse some of the ill effects unwanted medications are having on our water supply and on our environment.”
Drop off medicines are accepted between 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on either the second or fourth Thursdays each month, depending on the location of the Schnucks store. (See sidebar.)
Medicines must be in their original container. Mark off personal information from the container; however, data about the type of medicine must remain to be analyzed for research. You will be asked a few general questions, such as your ZIP code and why the medicine is no longer wanted, how long it has been kept and how you heard about the drop-off event. No identifiable personal information will be collected.
Data collected will provide the EPA with information on the types of medicine turned in (including Methamphetamine related drugs) and the common ways people dispose of medicine. Students from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy will assist in the data collection and analysis.
The grant will also fund educational programs and workshops about the safe disposal of medicines targeting students in 20 area elementary schools and through partnering senior citizen organizations.
By law, controlled substances cannot be accepted, such as narcotics, stimulants, hallucinogenic and anabolic steroids that are regulated by the government. No needles, thermometers, medical or household waste will be accepted. RXMeds is for individuals or households only – no doctor’s offices, health centers or other organizations.
As an alternative, there are ways to protect your family and pets by disposing of controlled substances safely at home. Add water to dissolve tablets or dilute fluids, empty contents into a disposable and sealable bag and mix in a solid substance such as kitty litter or coffee grounds. Put it in the trash receptacle on pick-up day. This process helps keep these medicines away from pets and other people. Remove all identification from all prescription bottles before recycling them.
The program is sponsored in partnership with the Area Resources for Community and Human Services, known as ARCHS, Schnucks, Cintas waste disposal company, the St. Louis College of Pharmacy and several others. The service is funded through a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information, call 314-289-5629, e-mail rxmeds@stlarchs.org or visit www.archs.org or www.schnucks.com.
Box 1:
Schnucks RX drop off
2nd Thursdays
10 a.m. till 1 p.m.
Harvester: 48 Plaza Ninety-Four Drive, St. Peters
Lake St. Louis: 101 Civic Center Drive, Lake St. Louis
New Twin Oaks: 1393 Big Bend Suite 1, Ballwin
Kirkwood: 10233 Manchester Road, Kirkwood
Gravois: 7450 Hampton Avenue, St. Louis
Arsenal: 5055 Arsenal, St. Louis
City Plaza: 3431 Union, St. Louis
Bridgeton: 11253 St. Charles Rock Rd., St. Louis
Grandview: 74 Grandview Plaza Center, Florissant
Granite City: 3100 Madison Avenue, Granite City, IL
Box 2:
Schnucks RX drop off
4th Thursdays
10 a.m. till 1 p.m.
Wentzville: 1960 Wentzville Parkway, Wentzville
Mid Rivers: 577 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, St. Peters
Wildwood: 16580 Manchester Road, Wildwood
Telegraph: 5519 Oakville Shopping Center, St. Louis
South Grand: 3430 South Grand, St. Louis
Richmond Heights: 6600 Clayton Road, St. Louis
Florissant: 8200 N. Lindbergh, Florissant
Cool Valley: 1225 South Florissant Road, Cool Valley
Swansea: 2665 N. Illinois Street, Swansea, IL
Godfrey: 2712 Godfrey Road. Godfrey, IL 62035